ENSIGN TO RESIGN FROM OFFICE — Washington, D.C. - Senator John Ensign today announced his resignation as the 24th United States Senator from the state of Nevada. In a letter to Vice President Joe Biden tomorrow, Senator Ensign will state that his resignation from office is effective as of May 3, 2011.

Nevada Sen. John Ensign to resign — Nevada Republican Sen. John Ensign is expected to resign from office in the near future. (AP Photo/Las Vegas Review-Journal, Jessica Ebelhar) Embattled Nevada Sen. John Ensign (R) announced Thursday night that he will resign from office in early May …

JOHN ENSIGN TO RESIGN FRIDAY, HELLER LIKELY REPLACEMENT — WASHINGTON — Sources confirmed this afternoon that embattled U.S. Sen. John Ensign will resign from office on Friday, opening the door for Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval to appoint Rep. Dean Heller to finish out the term.

Poll Finds Lack of Passion for Republican Candidates — With less than a year to go before the Iowa caucuses, Republican voters have yet to form strong opinions about most of their potential candidates for president in 2012, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

Trump to McCain: 'You're Hired!' — THE DAILY BEAST ON: — As Donald Trump flirts with a presidential run, he talks to Meghan McCain about his campaign strategy, his nights at the Holiday Inn, and why Romney won't be the Republican nominee. — Is The Donald serious?

WHEN POLITIFACT BECOMES POLITIFALSE.... Independent fact-checking outlets play an important part of the political discourse, or at least have the potential to. With a lot of figures making all kinds of claims, voters should have reliable sources they can turn to in order to help separate fact from fiction.

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee: “Seniors will have to find $12,500 for health care because Republicans voted to end Medicare.” — The Truth-o-Meter says: Pants on Fire! Democrats say Republicans voted to end Medicare and charge seniors $12,000

Response to Glenn Beck — This week Glenn Beck has taken to his radio show to attack me as a Progressive, which he has said is the same as a “cancer” and a “Nazi.” What did I do that apparently caused him to link me to a fatal disease and a form of government that murdered millions of innocent Jews?

Barletta town hall gets heated over Medicare — Reminiscent of the August 2009 town halls when members of Congress faced angry constituents over health care reforms, a public forum in Carbon County with Rep. Lou Barletta Wednesday night provided a glimpse of the strong emotions stirred by a Republican plan to alter Medicare benefits.

The Map — The Crystal Ball's First 2011 Take on 2012's Electoral College — Larry J. Sabato, Director, U.Va. Center for Politics — With 18 months to go until November 2012, there is exactly one use for a current projection of the 2012 Electoral College results.

New Labor plan: Nationwide protests — In a major strategic shift, the Service Employees International Union plans to use its giant political operation to try to build a grassroots movement of public protest and organization similar to the massive show of pro-labor support that overran Madison, Wis. last month.

Obama wobbly on Libya — Opponents of the Vietnam War — that seemingly endless, inconclusive, increasingly unpopular and ever-more-deadly and costly conflict — called it a “quagmire.” They said it was unwinnable and should never have been fought, and that America must avoid similar future wars.

Invitation to Israeli Leader Puts Obama on the Spot — WASHINGTON — A Republican invitation for Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to address Congress next month is highlighting the tensions between President Obama and Mr. Netanyahu and has kicked off a bizarre diplomatic race …

What Gary Johnson Brings to the GOP Presidential Race — Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson has just announced his candidacy for president, and, finally, a Republican is actually running. Johnson didn't announce an exploratory committee, or that he's thinking about running.

Poll: One in four Americans think Obama was not born in U.S. — CBS News Poll analysis by the CBS News Polling Unit: Sarah Dutton, Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus and Anthony Salvanto. — A quarter of all Americans incorrectly think President Obama was not born in the United States, according to a new CBS News/ New York Times poll.

Nation's Mood at Lowest Level in Two Years, Poll Shows — Americans are more pessimistic about the nation's economic outlook and overall direction than they have been at any time since President Obama's first two months in office, when the country was still officially ensnared in the Great Recession …

Obama says new task force will examine gas prices — RENO, Nev. - President Barack Obama said Thursday that the Justice Department will try to “root out” cases of fraud or manipulation in oil markets, even as Attorney General Eric Holder suggested a variety of legal reasons may be behind gasoline's surge to $4 a gallon.

‘The Shining’ — national debt edition — Remember that great scene in the 1980 film classic, “The Shining,” when the wife comes upon the typewriter of the Jack Nicholson character, who's supposed to have been working night and day for months on his novel? To her horror, she finds thousands …

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